Means for making trimming strips



March 16, 1937. J. D. KARLE MEANS FOR MAKING TRIMMNGl STRIPS Filed March 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l Il. ...il

-March 16, 1937. J. D. KARLE 2,074,254

MEANS Fon MAKING TRIMMING STRIPS Filed March 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16, 1937. J. D. KARLE MEANS FOR MAKING TRIMMING STRIPS Filed March 5, 1954 3 ,Sheets-Sheet 5 John [farle Panarea Mu. 16,1931' f MEANS 4FOR; MAKING 'IRIMMING STRIPS4V John D. Karle, Roselle Park, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth N. J., a corporation o! New Hersey Application March 3, 193i, Serial No. v'113,843 -21 claimt. (ci. ira- 9) This inventionrelates to trimmings, edgings, and lilre materials of the type known as fagoting and commonly used by workersin theneedlecraft arts for the adcrnment of articles of swearing apparel and stitched household draperies, linens, etc. l

The invention has for an object to provide an ornamental trimming or fagoting strip which may be readily made in any desired length in a f i variety of patterns by an unskilled person with the aid of a simple hand ,forming trame used in conjunction with a household sewing machine.

Another,- object or the invention is to provide a trimming strip oi openwork formation which l may, without distortion, be readily and accurately guided to the needle of a sewing machine in the attachment of the trimming strip to' iob-V ric material, either as a surface ornamentation,`

as an edging. or as an insertion.

'A further object of the invention is to pro- .vide 'a hand forming frame for use with a sewing machine in the production of a wide variety of patterns of openwork trimming or fagoting of the character Iabove referred to. y

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the j accompanying drawings of a preferred embodi ment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will he readily understood by those lslrilled in the art.

1t is to be understood that the term ecran is used herein in a broad sense including any' narrow stripllike material, such as tape', ribbon, cord, thread 4or yarn, of woven, knitted, braided or twisted texture.

In the accompanying plan view Aof a trimming strip `formin`g frame or fork embodying the invention, such'fram'e being adjusted for the formation of trimmings oi uniform width or with parallel edges. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the frame adjusted for thel formation of taperedl trimmings. Fig. .3 is an enlarged end view of the/"device in the-,position of adjustment shown'in/ Fig; 1. Fiss. 4 and 5 respectively, sections on the lines l-d and 5 5, Fig.. 1. Fig'. 6 isan enlarged side elevation of,` the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 'I is a perspective -view ofthe junction with a sewing machine. Fig. 8 is a. transverse sectionthrough the device at the stitching pointV in 'a sewing machine. Fig. 9 is a A 'of trimming of drawings, Fig. 1 isa top device as vused in con' p `rspective view o ned condition.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a special sewing machine presser-foot for use with' the device. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the use oi a loop'stripper with the device. Fig. 12 is a transverse 4section of the loop-stripper of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the loop-stripper of Fig. '11.. Fig. 14 is a perspective view'l of a modined-form of loop-stripper. Figs. l5 to 18, inclusive are plan Views illustrating several varieties of trimmings'which may be made with the device. Fig.v 19 illustrates the variety ci' tring .shown in Fig. 16 applied as an edging to a bodyfabric. Fig. 2.0 illustrates the same form oi trimming applied as an insertion between two pieces -of body-fabric. Fig. 21 shows the form Fig. 15, applied as an insertion. Fig. 22 .is a plan view ,showing the iirst step to be followed in applying the trimming to a bodyabric. Fig. 23 is a section on the line itu-23, Fig. 22, and Fig. 24 is a' sectional view showing how the body-fabric is to be'folded to show the trimming strip as an edging.

According to the' preferred embodiment oi the invention illustrated, there is provided a trimming strip forming frame or forked member comprising @an end-member or handle i having a long centrally projecting prong or tongue 2 terminating at its free end in a T-head t. Fulcrumed on the pivot-pins t which are iixed to the handle i are the side-hars or-prongs t, t each Vof ,which has the cross-sectional form of an angie-har having a fiat base-portion 5' and an upstanding toothed portion E" at an acute angle to the base-portion, as shown in Fig. 4. The toothed upstanding portions 5," of the side-bars are vspaced apart and each is spaced from the. intermediate tongue 2 to provide narrow stitch receiving gaps 6. There is pivoted at l to the free end-of the side-bar i, a distance piece 8 of U-shaped cross-section having a channel 9 which embraces or receives the ends o! the sidebars, as well as the fhead of the tongue 2. The tip end lli of th side-bar 5b projects through a hole Il in the distance piece 8 and is there- Aby held in'- contact with one side of the T-head side-bar, as shown/,in Fig. 1. The width of the T-head 3' is' such thatV when the distance piece A8 is closed, the tooth-rows of the side-bars are inparallelism. The distance piece 8 may be Aformed with one or more additional holes l2 to receive the tip-end VIl 'of the side-bar Ib when' it is desired-to adjust the side-barato angular or oi the free end of the devicein 3 which latter is held in contact with the other tapered relationship with one-another, as shown in Fig. 2. Y

There is secured in fiat superposed relation upon the handle I, by the riveted shanks of the 5 pivot-pins 4, a leaf-spring I2 which is provided with rib-forming-strand-positioning slots I 4 .each in line with a-respective stitch-receiving gap 6, Fig. 1. 'I'he distance piece l also has ribiormingfstrand-positioning notches IIY each cut in line with a respective one ofl `the gaps 2. 'I'he distance piece 2 may be further provided with a notch I6 for' the'` starting end of the trimmingbase-forming-strand I "I, Fig. l and with one or Amore additional notches I2, Fig. 2, for one of the rib-forming strands I9. l Referring particularly to Fig. .6. it will be seen that the `upstanding portions 5f' of the (sidebars are provided aty equidistant intervals with vertical slots 22 to 'form the teeth 2| the upper 2o ends of which have slightly beveled corners 22; the teeth 2| beinsubstantially rectangular in form but without sharp corners or edges. 'I'he ilrst few teeth 2|',at the starting end of the' frame, remote from thejhandle I-,' havel their upper ends rounded on more than the remain-l ingl teeth 2| to more easily receive the end, loops of a previouslyformed and stitched length of trimming strip for continuation of the manufacture of the trimming strip to any desired 3-0 iength.- 'rite nots n extend substantially an portions 2 of the re-A the way down to the base l spective side-bars, so that the trimming base strand I'I will, when looped upon the teeth of the frame, lie substantially in contact with the intermediate tongue 2. It will also be noticed `that the hat base-portions -5' of thesidebars lie in a common plane with the intermediate tongue 2 so that both the side-bars and tongue may rest fiat upon the cloth-plate of an ordinary sewing machine with which the device is 4 intended to be used.

The sewing machine may be of the usual family or domestic type having the needle-bar 23 carrying the needle 24 which reciprocates vertically through the needle-hole 25 in the throat- 5 plate 22. The machine has the usual flat bed or cloth-plate 2 'I andl four-motion feed-dog 22 which operates `through the usual feed-dog slots in the -throat-plate 22. i v

For use with the present trimming strip-form# ing frame, the usual spring-pressed presser-bar '29 of the sewing machine is preferably iltted with a special presser-foot 22 having anat soleplate 2| and upturned toe 22. The sole-plate 2| is provided in its longitudinal centerl line with a needle-hole 22 and on each side of its longitudinal center -line with a guide slot 24 for the upturned toothed portions i" of o'ne or' the other of the side-bars of the trimming strip forming frame, there being between the slots 24 a narrow central bar 22 which is provided in its 'under face with an inverted V-shaped groove 26 adapted to guide the rib-forming strands I9, `one at a time. to the "needle so that the latter `75 and engaged in the starting notch I6 lin the diswill stitch through and longitudinally oi' such. strands. The slots 24 in the presser-foot are so spaced laterally of the needle-hole 22 that the After the stitched portion of the tance piece 2 remote from the handleJ I. The

stmndl I1 is then looped back and 'forth by hand around theteeth of the side-bars 'and progressively lengthwise of the latter to form the desired pattern.l The substantially rectangular form of the teeth 2| and the inclination of the teeth of each row away from the teeth of the other .row, are ot great assistance to the operator in the hand-looping operation, as the loops may be formed upon and close to the upper ends of the teeth and readily slide down to the bases of the teeth. The rib-forming strands I 9 are next placed in lthe notches I5 of the distance piece l and stretched lengthwise of the frame and slipped into the notches I4 of the-.spring I2 so as to l overlie the legs of the loops of the base strand I'I. 'Ihe rib-forming strands I O'should be initially cut into lengths at least equaling the length of the trimming striplesired to be made, which may bev many`times the length .of the forming frame. The same or diierent strands or cords may be used for the base and rib-formingstrands. The side-bars 5*, 5b are preferably stiifened, to resist bending or deformation under the crossstrains of the loope'd ybase strand I1, by having their at base-portions 5 widened beam- 'fashion centrally of the lengths of the side-bars,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Y

When' the frame has been wound as directed it is presented to a sewing machine iitted with the presser-foot 30 and a line of stitches is passed through one rib-forming strand to secure the latter to the legs of the base-strand loops. 'Ihe stitching thread or threads are then cut and a second line of stitching is passed-.through the other rib-forming strand to secureit'to the legs Aof the base-strand loops in parallelism with the ilrst rib-forming strand. After both rib-forming strands have been stitched to thelooped base strand the frame is removed from the machine. and the stitched length of finished trimming is stripped from the teeth of thel frame.

To assist. in the stripping operation there may' be provided a stripper 21, Figs. 11, 12 and 1'3, made of two pieces of sheet-metal riveted together at 22 and having lower and upper oiset portions 22, 40 spaced apart to form a passageway 4|, Fig: 12,- for the base-portion 5' of the side-bar 5b. 'I'he oifset portions 22, 42 o f the stripper have spaced upstanding lips 42, 42, respectively, form- A. ing a passageway for the upstanding toothed portion 5'.' of theside-bar 5b. Each of the lips 42; 42 has an inclined edge 44 which cams the loops of` the trimming strip.upward1y, Fig. 11-, and dislodges them from the teeth of the side-bar 5b. The trimming strip may then be readily removed fromthe teeth of the other side-bar il..

It is of course understood that the starting ends of the strands in the positioningnotches of the giece 2 must be severed and the distance piece 2 pened before the stripper is applied to the side bar 5b. The inner lip 542 of the stripper` should preferably ilt rather closely against the toothed upstanding portion 5 of the frame side-ban'so as to hold the outer upstanding lip 42 of the stripper closely thereagainst lin order thatA the inclined edge 44 of .the outer lip may engage and lift the ends of theloops ofo the trimming strip. It may be-desirable to provide the stripper with a. lspring tongue 45, Fig. 14, to resiliently engage 'the inner face of the toothed upstanding portion 5" of the frame side-bar i" through, an opening '4E in the inner lip 42.

trimming strip isrenioved from the frame, the last few loops 2,074,264 stitched may` be muy applied by mnd, aided line of stitches I. The body-fabric 50 is then folded around the line of stitches 5I to the position shown in Fig. 24 and pressed to position or additionally' Astitched by a line of stitches ,52.

strand I1 is then continued to again nil the frame,

after which the rib-forming strands are' drawn taut and slipped into the positioning notches Il .andfun'der the spring I3. ihe 'stitching is again l l0 resumed at the points where it was previously stopped and continued. to the handle end of the frame.' There is no danger that the stitching,

will be carried too far sincexone or the other of the upstanding-pivotllins I4-V engage lthe upturned toe l! of the presser-footand arrest the leed of -the-frame before the needle reaches the end of the respective stitch-receiving gap l in the frame. The stripping, looping and stitching operations may be repeated until the trimming strip v attains the desired length.

It will be observed in Fig. 8 that the rising `feed-tical!! engages' the intermediate tongue! of theframe an'd lifts the latter under the down- "ward yielding `-pressure of the spring-pressed presser-foot Il. It is found in practice that the frlctlonal engagement of the feed-dog teeth with the under side ofthe tongue) exceeds that of the looped basestrand Il with the under face of tl'iepres'ser-Ioot 30, so that the feed-dog effectively feeds the loaded frame through and under the presser-foot. pr course. the tongue 2 may, it necessary, he sand-blasted or otherwise roughened on its under face to increase the grip oi' the feed-dog thereagainst. Y

-To make a tapered trimming strip, the frame ls set up with the side-bars 5F, lb inclined to one another, .as shown inv Fig. 2. 'The trimming hase strand lITI' is woundor looped around the teeth of the side-bars in any desired pattern and 40 the rib-forming strands I! are stretched longitudinally of the respective side-bars between the notches I5, I8 andslots Il-ln the Spring I3. The

tongue 2 .is then shifted-into parallelism with x the side-bar 5b and one intermediate rib-torming strand II is stitched -to position across the legs of the base strand-loops. -When the stitch- `ingfoi the ilrst rib-'forming strand is` completed,

Fig. 1 9 illustrates a face view of the edged bodyfabric of Fig. V24. Obviously by repeating the operation and using an additional piece of body-l fabric the trimming strip may be applied as an insertion. This eiect` is shown in Fig. 20' in simulation of zigzag cross-bar hemstitching, and in Fig. 21 in simulation of parallel cross-bar hemstitehing.. In smuch as the trimming strip may be initially f rmed with strictly parallel ribforming strands I9, and inasmuch as such strands are used to guide the subsequently formed lines of stitching 5I Vand '52 used to attach the trimming st rip as'an edging or as an insertion; it follows that a high degree of accuracy is readily attained in making insertions of uniform width or in applying'edgings with Iuniformity.

variously lcolored threads. cords, twists, yarns and the like and combinations of the same may .be used in forming the base ofthe trimming.

The rib-forming strands may be of any suitable cord or strip-like material having suiilcient size or thickness and body to be guided by coopera.`

tion with a guiding element of a. sewing machine. So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide an open-work trimming strip and means for sition of a subsequent line of sewing machine Y tails are merely illustrative ofone embodiment 5* of the invention andmay obviously be variously modified within the spirit and scope of the inv vention.

the side-bars are swung from full to dottedline position. Fig'. 2, to shift the other side-bar l* into 50 parallelismylith the ltongue' 2. The stitching of the second rib-forming strand to the looped basestrandis then proceeded with. v

A great variety of: trimmings may be produced .by use-jef the present device'. I n Fig.- 15 there is illustrated the ladder" type of trimming having' spaced parallel cross-bars Il. Fig. 16 illustrates the closely formed ligure l type of parallel4 trimmingl with the angularly related orizlgjaag cross-bars 4l@ Fig.. 17 shows an open form or ligure l" tapered trimming. The parallel type of" trimming of Fig. 18 is formed by using an additional base-strand I'I' V'which is looped onto the frame so that the legs of the loops cross the Alegs offtheloops of the base-strand I1 to 'strands of the trimming-to the neediegwhich 'sews the trimming` to the body-fabric Il with a Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein isz- 1. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising side-bars adapted for feeding engagement-,by the feed-'dog of a sewing machine.

2. A' trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a Sewing machine, said frame comprising a. handle, a pair of spaced side-bars joined at4 ing the free ends of the side-bars, and a tongueon said handle disposed between and spaced from said side-bars` 3. The combination having stitch-forming mechanism includinga asewing machine' reciprocatory needle, work-feeding mechanism including a feed-dog, and a spring-pressed presser-foot, of a trimming strip forming frame having spaced side-bars each having a row of spaced upstanding .strand-loop-posltioning teeth;

said frame having means between said rows of teeth adapted for feeding engagement by the feed-dog as it rises under the pressure of the presser-foot. 'A

6 4. The combination with a sewing machine having stitch-forming mechanism including a eciprocatory needle and feeding mechanism, of a trimming-base-strand supporting frame having spaced side-bars separated by a stitch-,receiv- 10 ing gap, said side-bars each having a row of upstanding teeth, means for guiding said frame relative to said needle so thatcthe latter will stitch lengthwise of and within said gap, and means `for guiding a rib-forming strand in the l5 direction of seam-formationto said needle.

5. The combination with a sewing` machine having stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a presser-foot, and feeding mechanism, of a trimming-base-strand supporting frame having spaced side-bars separated by a stitch-receiving vgap and each formed with a row of spaced upstanding teeth, and means for guiding said frame relative to saidneedle so that the latter will stitch lengthwise of and within said gap, said frame having positioning means in line with said gap for a rib-forming strand, and said presser-foot having means for guiding said rib-forming strand to said needle.

6. The combination with a sewing machine having stitch-forming mechanism including` a reciprocatory needle, a presser-foot, and feeding mechanism, of a trimming-base-strand supporting frame having spaced side-bars separated by a stitch-receiving gap, said side-bars being each formed with a row of spaced upstanding teeth, said presser-foot havingl a guide-slot providing spaced walls engaging sides of a row of said teeth for automatically guiding said frame relative to said needle so that the latter will stitch longitudinally of and within said gap.

7 The combination with a sewing machine having stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a. presser-foot and feeding mechanism, of a trimming-base-strand supporting frame having spaced side-bars separated by a stitch-receiving gap, said side-bars being each formed with a row of spaced upstanding teeth, said presser-foot and frame having coacting means for guiding said frame relative to said needle so that the latter will stitch longitudinally of and .within said gap, and positioning means on said frame in line with said gap for locating a rib-forming strand in predetermined sewing position above and parallel to said gap.

8. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced side-bars each having a row of spaced upstanding strand-loop-y positioning teeth, and an intermediate tongue ex-- tending lengthwise of and between said side-bars and spaced from the latter to provide sewing machine stitch-receiving gaps adjacent and Within the respective side-bars.

9. 'A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a pair of angle-bars each having a iiat base-portion and an upstanding portion at an acute angle to said base-portion, said upstanding portion having therein a row of teeth, and means for holding said angle-bars in laterally spaced relation with their toothed upstandirg portions disposed inwardly of their base-portion 10. A trimming strip forming frame adaptei for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a pair of angle-bars each having a. at

base-portion and an upstanding portion at an angle to said base-portion, said upstanding portion having therein slots extending downwardly substantially to the base-portion and dening strand-loop-positioning teeth.

11. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use, with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a tongue, a pair `of side-bars each connected at one end to said tongue and each having a row of' spaced upstanding strand-looppositioning teeth, and a distance piece releasably connecting the free ends of said side-bars.

12. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a tongue, a pair of side-bars each pivotally connected at one end to said tongue and each having a row of spaced upstanding strandloop-positioning teeth, and a distance piece having means for releasably connecting the free ends of said side-bars in a plurality of differently spaced relative positions.

13. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a flat supporting tongue, a pair of toothed side-bars each spaced from a respective side edge of said tongue to form a stitch-receiving gap, means pivotally connecting said side-bars to said tongue adjacent one end of the latter, and a distance piece releasably connecting the side-bars and tongue at the other end of said tongue.

14. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a flat supporting tongue, a pair of toothed side-bars each spaced from a respective side edge of said tongue to form a stitch-receiving gap, means pivotally connecting said side-bars to said tongue adjacent one end of the latter, a distance piece releasably connecting the side-bars at the other end of said tongue, and means for positioning and holding rib-forming strands longitudinally of and over said stitch-receiving gaps.

15. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a ilat supporting tongue, a pair of toothed side-bars each spaced from a respective side edge of said tongue to form a stitch-receiving gap, means pivotally connecting said side-bars to said tongue adjacent one end of the latter, a distance piece releasably connecting the side-bars at the other"v end of said tongue, and means for positioning and holdingl rib-forming strands longitudinally of and over said stitch-receiving gaps, said pivotal means each having a positioning head for a rib-forming strand adapted to maintain the rib-forming strand in vparallelism with its respective side-bar for any relative angular relationship of the side-bars.

16. A trimming strip forming frame adapted for use with a sewing machine, said frame comprising a pair of spaced side-bars each having a row of teeth around which teeth a trimmingbase-strand may be looped back-and-forth between the side-bars on one face only of said frame, means for holding said side-bars in lat- Cil frame, means for holding said side-bars in laterally spaced relation,v and a loop-'stripper having a passageway therethrough to slidably embrace one of said side-bars and guide said loopstripper relative to the teeth of the latter, said loop-stripper having an inclined loop-stripping edge disposed between said rows of teeth.

18. The combination with a work-holding frame having a row of spaced upstanding teeth, of a sewing maehine'presser-foot having a sole-4 piece formed with a guiding slot for the row of teeth of said work-holding frame,y said sole-piece having -a cord-guiding groove in its under face Y for said work-holding frame, said slots extending longitudinally` ofrsaidsole-piece, said sole-piece having a bar intermediate said slots formed with a needle-opening and with a cord-guiding groove in its under face.

20. A ltrimming vstrip forming frame adapted 'for 'use with a sewing'rnachine, said frame comprising a pair of "spaced base-strand-loop-positioning side-bars separated by a tongue providing stitch-receiving gaps, and guiding means in line with said gaps for` holding rib-forming strands in predetermined sewing position above and 1ongitudinally of. said gaps.

21. A loop-'forming frame adapted for use with a nsewing machine, said frame comprising a pair of spaced side-bars each having-a row of looppositioning teeth and an intermediate tongue extending lengthwise of and `spaced from said side-bars to provide stitch-receiving gaps.

l JOHN D'. KARLE, 

